BOX SCORE


HOUSTON, Texas- The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team exploded for eight runs in the top of the fifth inning en route to a 16-4, victory over Houston Baptist University in Great West Conference action Friday afternoon at Husky Field. The game ended after the seventh inning due to the 10-run after 7-innings rule. Friday was the opener of a four game weekend series.

The Broncs (18-17, 7-6 GWC) broke a six game GWC losing skid and a five game road-losing streak with the win. The Huskies (10-30, 8-5) has now lost two straight with the defeat.

Texas-Pan American began Friday's scoring with a pair of first inning runs. Alex Carnall led off the inning with a single and later scored on an Angel Ibañez single up the middle to put UTPA up 1-0. Next up was Vincent Mejia who singled to the left side, scoring Adrian De La Rosa from third to give the Broncs the 2-0 advantage.

HBU cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first when Robbie Buller scored from third on a Luis Flores wild pitch to cut the Broncs lead to 2-1.

Both team traded runs in the third and went into the fifth inning with the Broncs leading 3-2.

In the fifth the Broncs brought 12 men to the plate in the eight-run fifth inning. The Broncs racked up five straight singles to start the inning. Iradier Hernandez singled to left as the final hit of the streak, scoring Mejia and Ibañez to give the Broncs a 6-2 lead. The Huskies then replaced starter Dalton Schafer for Scott Moore.

Moore faired better, but his defense broke down behind him. His appearance began with a strike out of Stuart MacInnes and Brandon Roush fouled out to first for the first two outs of the inning. A throwing error by the Huskies allowed the inning to continue for UTPA. The Broncs scored five additional runs, all un-earned to take an 11-2 lead after four and one-half innings.

Ibañez's two-run double in the sixth inning capped off a four-run frame for the Broncs to put UTPA further ahead at 15-2. The double by Ibañez, who went 4-5 with a team-high four RBI, wound up being the run-rule clincher for the Broncs. It was the second run-rule victory for the Broncs in 2011.

Flores, (W, 2-3) picked up the victory for the Broncs scattering four hits over six innings and allowing only two earned runs while walking four and striking out four. Schafer (L, 2-9) lasted four innings and allowed eight runs, six earned, walking one and striking out three in the losing effort for the Huskies.

Every Bronc starter picked up a hit on Friday. Mike McCarthy, the Broncs leading hitter, went 4-5 with an RBI, Mejia added a pair of hits in five at-bats with 3 RBI.

The Broncs and Huskies will continue their series on Saturday with a doubleheader. Game one will be a seven inning game beginning at noon. The Broncs will start A.J. Franco (2-0, 2.75 ERA) for the first time in 2011. The Huskies will counter with southpaw Jamie Storey (0-6, 5.51 ERA).